adminAndile Tshuma Court Reporter
A 19-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo stole a laptop from a staffroom at a school where he had been ordered to perform community service for a previous offence, a court has heard.
Brine Tshuma of Emganwini Suburb appeared before Western Commonage Magistrate Ms Tancy Dube charged with theft.
He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to Friday for sentencing.
Tshuma stole the HP laptop which is worth $300 last week on Tuesday and it was recovered.
The crime which resulted in him being ordered to perform community service at Emganwini High School was not stated in court, but it was also a theft case.
In mitigation, Tshuma told magistrate Dube that he had no intention to steal the laptop.
“I did not intend to steal the laptop. I took it for safe-keeping. The staffroom was empty so I figured it was better for me to take it,” said Tshuma.
Magistrate Dube asked Tshuma why he had not taken the laptop to the owner who was in his office.
“I made a mistake. I am sorry, please forgive me. I gave it to my friend,” said Tshuma.
Prosecuting, Mr Mufaro Mageza said Tshuma had been sentenced to do community service at Emganwini High School.
“On August 30 at around 10:45 AM, the accused person was on community service duty at Emganwini High School. The complainant, Mr Taedza Rwauya, who is the school’s headmaster, had left his HP laptop in the staffroom. The accused then entered the staffroom and decided to take the laptop which had been left on a table,” said Mr Mageza.
“The complainant discovered the laptop was missing after dismissing Tshuma who had said he was not feeling well and had to go. He was sold out by footsteps from the staffroom to the small school gate that he used. Rwauya then reported the matter to the police leading to Tshuma’s arrest.”-@andile-tshuma
Online Reporter